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98-477: The "Higher Military Combined Arms Command College" was founded on June 24, 1994. The Izmirlian Foundation had a major role in the process of establishing the college, financing the construction of two barracks and the heating and power system from 1996-1998. A presidential decree issued by Robert Kocharyan on 28 December 1999, renamed the college to the Military Institute named after Vazgen Sargsyan ,

196-673: A "phased" settlement whereby Armenian forces would withdraw from the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh in exchange for security guarantees while Karabakh's status would be left for future negotiations. In October 1999, Kocharyan became the first President of Armenia to visit Azerbaijan , holding talks with Heydar Aliyev at the border of the two countries. Kocharyan and Heydar Aliyev reportedly came particularly close to an agreement during US-mediated negotiations at Key West in April 2001. In his memoirs, Kocharyan later claimed that Aliyev stood ready in his discussions to recognize Karabakh as

294-481: A 20-day state of emergency. This meant that "all rallies and other public gatherings will be banned in Yerevan until March 20. It also places serious restrictions on press freedom, with local media outlets allowed to report only official news communiqués." Clashes between the police and security forces and agitated protesters seem to have occurred on at least three occasions during the course of 1 March: The first in

392-602: A clear lesson of consequences of political shortsightedness. After Armenia's defeat, he calls for "full integration" with Russia and gives his support for Armenia to join Russian-led Union State . He and his wife, Bella Kocharyan , have three children: Sedrak, Gayane, and Levon, all of whom were born in Stepanakert. In addition to his native Armenian, Kocharyan speaks Russian and English. In his memoirs that were published in 2020, he admitted to having

490-479: A construction boom. While Kocharyan's supporters credit him with securing Armenia's economic growth during his presidency, his critics accuse him of promoting corruption and the creation of an oligarchic system of government in Armenia. On July 26, 2018 Kocharyan was charged in connection with the crackdown on the 2008 Armenian presidential election protests in the final weeks of his presidency, which resulted in

588-434: A de facto ban on any further anti-government protests. As President, Kocharyan continued to negotiate a peaceful resolution with Azerbaijani Presidents Heydar Aliyev and Ilham Aliyev on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh . Kocharyan was generally in favor of achieving a "package deal" settlement of the conflict, whereby all issues, including the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh would be resolved in one agreement, rather than

686-506: A diasporan Armenian from France, spoke twice, and alluded to the participation of Armenians in revolutionary movements in France and Germany, and how the turn has come for Armenia. Around 10–15,000 people continued to participate in the rally well into midnight, some staying overnight in tents. On 26 February, there were widespread reports that high school administrators had been directed by the ruling party to have their students participate in

784-412: A growing crowd—mostly composed of women—that was assembling at Northern Avenue. A Reuters reporter was notified by the police that any attempt by the public to hold a similar "silent protest" as the day before would be met by resistance from the police. Late in the evening on 1 March, President Kocharian declared a State of Emergency in the capital Yerevan for twenty days. The National Parliament endorsed

882-534: A large canvas so that it could not be seen what took place inside. At about 11:30 am, a peaceful march of about 1,000 people from near Freedom Square, down North Avenue, and to the French Embassy at Miyasnikyan Square (where riot police were quickly redeployed to). By 1:30 pm, a police armored personnel carrier was brought in, which the growing crowd quickly surrounded. By 2 pm, about 150,000 protesters—larger than on any other day—had gathered in

980-463: A majority of seats in parliamentary elections in May 1999, Vazgen Sargsyan took the office of prime minister while Karen Demirchyan became speaker of the parliament. On 27 October 1999, Vazgen Sargsyan and Karen Demirchyan were killed along with six other government officials by five gunmen in an episode known as the 1999 Armenian parliament shooting . The attackers then took around fifty people hostage in

1078-443: A one-year suspended jail term for the killing. The 2003 Armenian Presidential election was held on 19 February and 5 March 2003. No candidate received a majority in the first round of the election with the incumbent President Kocharyan winning slightly under 50% of the vote. Therefore, a second round was held and Kocharyan defeated Stepan Demirchyan (son of Karen Demirchyan) with official results showed him winning just over 67% of

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1176-751: A part of Armenia. Talks between Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev, Heydar Aliyev's son and successor, were held in September 2004 in Astana , Kazakhstan , on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit. Reportedly, one of the suggestions put forward was the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azeri territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, and holding referendums (plebiscites) in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper regarding

1274-443: A peace plan for Karabakh put forward by international mediators in September 1997. The plan, accepted by Ter-Petrosyan and Azerbaijan, called for a "phased" settlement of the conflict which would postpone an agreement on Karabakh's status. The first phase of the agreement envisioned the return of most Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani territories around Karabakh in exchange for security guarantees, demilitarization of Nagorno-Karabakh and

1372-477: A police officer died trying to prevent a hand grenade from going off. Three civilians died from teargas cartridge and four from bullets. The Prosecutor General stated that the ammunitions had penetrated the bodies, which appears to indicate that they must have been fired at a very close range. According to the Head of Police some protesters were armed with wooden sticks, iron sticks and "hedgehogs". He also stated that

1470-648: A political alliance with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Reborn Armenia party. The alliance was named Armenia Alliance and was led by Kocharyan. He lost the elections to Nikol Pashinyan and his Civil Contract party, with the election results showing the Armenia Alliance party had come in second with 21% of votes. After the conclusion of the election, Kocharyan and the Armenia Alliance party contested

1568-1061: A poor command of standard Armenian, saying that he "had difficulties with writing and reading in Armenian". He attributes this to his homeland of Karabakh, where many local Armenians speak the local Karabakh dialect or Russian as their first language. Although he was baptized in the Armenian Apostolic Church by Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan in 1996, he has stated that he is not a believer. 2008 Armenian presidential election protests Opposition parties Armenian government Pro-government parties: Levon Ter-Petrosyan Nikol Pashinyan Stepan Demirchyan Hrant Bagratyan Aram Sargsyan Raffi Hovannisian Khachatur Sukiasyan Robert Kocharyan (incumbent president) Serzh Sargsyan (Prime Minister, president-elect) Mikael Harutyunyan (Defence Minister) Seyran Ohanyan (Chief of General Sraff) Gorik Hakobyan (Head of

1666-524: A pro-Sargsyan rally held in Republic Square. Many e-mail services had been blocked since the morning of 26 February, including Hotmail, Gmail, and thick-client email programs using the IMAP protocol. Several prominent supporters of Ter-Petrosyan were arrested on 26 February. On that day competing rallies were held, with Sargysan's supporters reported to number up to 100,000. Ter-Petrosyan claimed that

1764-619: A public agent). 25 February saw steady numbers of protesters at Opera Square during the day, estimated at 40,000–50,000. Ter-Petrosyan made several appearances, and in each called for a peaceful rally, frequently alluding to the late-1980s when the Karabakh Committee was arrested by the Soviets. Ter-Petrosyan said that he does not fear arrest nor assassination, and that if the ruling party had him killed, it would only accelerate its own demise. Also on 25 February, Sarkis Hatspanian,

1862-599: A public assembly in the area. At 7 p.m. the assembled crowds of silent protesters dispersed as planned. Although the state of emergency has been lifted by law, the ban on public rallies is de facto still in place. On the same day, the following campaign team members of Levon Ter-Petrosyan were taken into custody: Vardan Galstyan, Davit Tzaghikyan, Onik Hakobyan, Suren Sujyan, Edvard Sarajanyan and Hakob Semirjyan. Riot police continue to block public access to Freedom Square, Shahumyan Square, and Myasnikian Square; they were also in formation at Republic Square. Police dispersed

1960-514: A result, 10 people were killed. As of 4 March, many protesters were still missing. On 1 March, Ter-Petrosyan was placed under de facto house arrest. At noon on 1 March, a crowd of at least 10,000 protesters held a rally in front of the French embassy in Yerevan. Police officers pulled away from the area by 4 pm, as they were overwhelmed by the growing number of demonstrators. Activists then used abandoned police buses to set up barricades. In

2058-674: Is an Armenian politician. He served as the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 1997 and Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1992 to 1994. He served as the second President of Armenia between 1998 and 2008 and as Prime Minister of Armenia from 1997 to 1998. Kocharyan was elected president of Armenia twice, in 1998 and 2003 ; both presidential elections were held in two rounds. During most of his presidency, between 2001 and 2007, Armenia's economy grew on average by 12% annually, largely due to

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2156-409: Is an incomplete list of convincing signs of the formation of a new multi-polar world order. The current situation requires deep understanding and a well-defined foreign policy that can neutralize new challenges and threats for Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Kocharyan suggests that relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan have further strengthened in recent years, "becoming a cornerstone in the context of

2254-601: Is required for the exam. The faculty of infantry trains commanders for motorized infantry, tanks, intelligence, field engineer platoons, engineers of military wheeled vehicles and officers with a civil bachelor's degree. In 2013, the Faculty of Command and Staff was established, which was named in 2017 after Marshal Ivan Bagramyan . With the donation of the Vardanyan family, the Department of Physical Fitness and Sports of

2352-660: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe , PACE and the European Parliament had said that "the presidential election in Armenia mostly satisfied the international standards". The protests began on 20 February; about 25,000 opposition supporters were reportedly present on 21 February. Ter-Petrosyan said that the army would not act against the protesters, claiming to have the support of two deputy defense ministers. An aide to Ter-Petrosyan vowed that

2450-676: The Yerkrapah Volunteers, local self-government bodies, and cultural and artistic figures. Visits to concert halls, theaters, museums, historical and cultural centers, participation in Olympiads , competitions are an integral part of the cadets' daily life. 40°11′04″N 44°33′41″E  /  40.18444°N 44.56139°E  / 40.18444; 44.56139 Robert Kocharyan Robert Sedraki Kocharyan ( Armenian : Ռոբերտ Սեդրակի Քոչարյան pronounced [rɔˈbɛɾt sɛtʰɾɑˈki kʰɔtʃʰɑɾˈjɑn] ; born 31 August 1954)

2548-426: The 1999 shooting in his campaign speeches before the 2008 presidential election . In 2001 Kocharyan was attending a jazz performance at Poplavok cafe in Yerevan, and was greeted by former classmate Poghos Poghosyan with the words "Hi Rob". The casualness of the greeting was taken as an insult, and Kocharyan's bodyguards took Poghosyan into the café toilet and killed him. The bodyguard, Aghamal Harutiunyan, received

2646-528: The Armenian authorities. The radio service's airings were at first accessible from their website at http://www.armenialiberty.org , but since 6 March even this website has been blocked by the Armenian government. In the evening of 2 March, the Internet Society of Armenia (ISOC) froze the Internet domain name server entries in its DNS servers for several domains, including: The YouTube web site

2744-538: The French Embassy to go home, thus ending the protests. The events of 1 March 2008 are simply referred to as Marti mek ( Armenian : Մարտի մեկ "March First") in Armenia. Levon Ter-Petrosyan was the President of Armenia from 16 October 1991 to 3 February 1998. Ter-Petrosyan was forced to step down in February 1998 for a number of reasons, including allegations of election fraud and generally having lost support in

2842-519: The Military Institute was reorganized into a military university. In 2013, the university admitted its first group of female cadets. In 2019, the Minister of Education and Science awarded the university with a 4-year institutional accreditation certificate. Applicants will need to pass a medical examination as well as take entrance exams. High scores in the Armenian language , physics and mathematics

2940-588: The Military University was supplemented with new training equipment and a wrestling mat. The Greek language is among the taught languages at the university. The cadets of the university are regular participants in all military parades in Yerevan . On 2 August 2020, the Church of St. Mesrop Mashtots was opened. The first stone of the church was laid in 2013 at the initiative of the former head of

3038-704: The NKR. Kocharyan was elected NKR's first president on 24 December 1994 by the decision of the NKR Supreme Soviet. He was reelected by popular vote in November 1996. On 20 March 1997, Kocharyan left his post as President of the NKR when he was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia by President Levon Ter-Petrosyan . In February 1998, President Ter-Petrosyan was forced to step down by Kocharyan, Defense Minister Vazgen Sargsyan , and Interior Minister Serzh Sargsyan , who were opposed to Ter-Petrosyan's move to accept

Vazgen Sargsyan Military University - Misplaced Pages Continue

3136-566: The NSS) Hayk Harutyunyan (Head of the police) A series of anti-government riots took place in Armenia following presidential elections held on 19 February 2008 . Protests broke out in the Armenian capital Yerevan , organized by supporters of presidential candidate and former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan and other opposition leaders. The protests began on 20 February, lasted for 10 days in Yerevan's Freedom Square , and involved tens of thousands of demonstrators during

3234-715: The Presidential decree on Declaration of state of emergency the following day, 2 March. The State of Emergency entered into force immediately. The decree established the following temporary limitations under the State of Emergency: The Armenian military is maintaining a strict ban on public gatherings of even the smallest size. Under the state of emergency, mass media can only publish official government news. Several opposition media have been shut down, including A1plus and Haykakan Zhamanak . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 's Armenia Liberty radio service has been terminated by

3332-782: The Soviet Army from 1972 to 1974. Kocharyan's career began as an engineer at Stepanakert 's electro-technical plant in 1971. In 1982, he graduated with honors from the Electro-Technical Department of the Karl Marx Polytechnic Institute in Yerevan (now called the National Polytechnic University of Armenia). Throughout the 1980s, he occupied various posts in Nagorno-Karabakh's communist youth league and party. At one point he served as deputy secretary of

3430-498: The State Defense Committee of the NKR, an extraordinary body which held all executive powers during the war. That year he also became prime minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Kocharyan coordinated the war effort of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in its war against Azerbaijan, which ended in an Armenian victory with the signing of a ceasefire agreement in May 1994 by representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan and

3528-597: The Stepanakert Komsomol , which was headed by his later successor as president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan . By February 1988, Kocharyan became one of the leaders of the Karabakh movement as a member of the Krunk ("Crane") organization. The Karabakh movement, which started in Nagorno-Karabakh then spread to Soviet Armenia, sought to achieve the transfer of the autonomous region from Azerbaijan to Armenia. After

3626-489: The area and cross the streets surrounding it, citing a continuing government ban on rallies. "Ten people standing together means a rally, and I have the right to disperse a rally," Major-General Sasha Afian, deputy chief of Armenia's Police Service, told a group of angry women. Freedom Square was occupied by busloads of police and interior troops who prevented citizens to enter Freedom Square; Shahumyan Square and Myasnikian Square similarly had rows of riot police who prevented

3724-441: The assassinated officials. The possibility of Kocharyan's involvement in the events was considered during the investigation in 2000; although several individuals close to Kocharyan were arrested, they were released months later, and no evidence was found implicating Kocharyan or anyone besides the five attackers in the shooting. Kocharyan's predecessor Levon Ter-Petrosyan repeatedly accused him and Serzh Sargsyan of being complicit in

3822-521: The barricades but fled the scene after unsuccessful pitched battles with opposition supporters who were armed with sticks, stones and Molotov cocktails . Shortly after the event, a controversial independent video appeared on YouTube showing special forces firing automatic weapons directly into the crowd, directly followed by a clip in which the Prosecutor General's press secretary (Sona Truzyan) claims that police did not fire any weapons into

3920-426: The bus loads of army soldiers were bused into Shahumyan square to join rows of riot police. Demonstrators were seen armed with metal bars (removed from park gates) and Molotov cocktails made from water bottles. Many of the demonstrators were not there to specifically support Levon Ter-Petrosyan, but were there to show their support for a change in government. Only a minority of the group resorted to looting, and most of

4018-555: The café adjacent to Freedom Square named "Karapi Lij" (Swan Lake). A protest leader announced that all available journalists should go there to photograph "something interesting" that was about to happen, and also called for the general populace to return to the square. Several score of military police, civil police, as well as secret police went into the subterranean café, emerging after 15–20 minutes with 3 arrested suspects who were secret agent provocateurs with undercover recording equipment trying to get opposition leaders (who were in

Vazgen Sargsyan Military University - Misplaced Pages Continue

4116-519: The café) to say or perform illegal acts. Armenia's National Security Service (NSS) acknowledged that the agents urging the opposition leaders to resort to violence were its employees. Secret police (which outnumbered uniformed police and military 3 to 1) would not allow journalists to take pictures; however, some were able to (despite their threats of impending danger to journalists' personal safety or destruction of their cameras). The rally later continued without interruption. On 28 February, starting from

4214-445: The country to be stable and strong, and we are ready for an open, straightforward and honest discussion". He also said that "those who incited recent riots had committed a crime and should be punished". The Incumbent President Kocharian said that "Armenian authorities were seeking to normalise the situation as soon as possible and restore stability". Government officials have portrayed the events of 1 March purely as an attempted coup by

4312-508: The court. On 18 May 2019, Kocharyan was freed on bail from pre-trial detention. On 25 June 2019, he was arrested for the third time. He was again released a year later, on 18 June 2020, on bail. During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War , Kocharyan met with fellow ex-presidents of Armenia Levon Ter-Petroysan and Serzh Sargsyan as well as ex-presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan to discuss

4410-551: The crowd looted some stores. Despite calls from opposition leaders throughout the demonstrations to restrain the use of violence, some in the crowd (allegedly encouraged by agent provocateurs ) resorted to property destruction (of cars, windows, public places) and looting of a grocery store and a shoe store. (ArmeniaNow reports that the 2 pharmacies and 4 electronics and computer stores were not looted. ) By 1:00 am, several buses and cars had been destroyed, set ablaze, or turned over near Miyasnikyan square. By 2:30 am, some of

4508-440: The crowd stayed within the vicinity of Miyasnikyan Square. Official reports say that ten people died on the night of 1 March; however, according to representatives of non-governmental organizations, the official number of injured civilians may be underreported, as several of those injured were turned away from hospitals and medical clinics on 1 March. According to the information given by the Head of Police and Prosecutor General,

4606-447: The crowd. Government sources claimed that the video footage was faked and that it was digitally doctored. By 12:00 am, the area around the French embassy had only about 5,000 activists left. The police stood about 1/2 km north at Shahumyan Square, passively watching as anarchy reigned on the area below. Miyasnikyan square to Mashdots Avenue was completely devoid of any law enforcement, and authorities watched passively as some of

4704-463: The day and hundreds camping out overnight. Despite the urges of the government to stop the demonstrations, the protests continued until 1 March. After nine days of peaceful protests at Freedom Square, the national police and military forces tried to disperse the protesters on 1 March. On the morning of 1 March, police and army units dispersed the 700 to 1,000 protesters who remained overnight, beating them with truncheons and electric-shock devices . As

4802-454: The days after the election against the results and called on President Kocharyan to step down. However Kocharyan was sworn in for a second term in early April and the constitutional court upheld the election, while recommending that a referendum be held within a year to confirm the election result. On April 14, 2004 Armenian poet Silva Kaputikyan wrote an open letter Kocharyan Must Go , where she protested Kocharyan's harsh methods towards

4900-547: The deaths of ten people. Kocharyan's trial began on 13 May 2019. The trial ended in March 2021 after the Constitutional Court of Armenia declared unconstitutional the article of the criminal code under which Kocharyan was being tried. Kocharyan returned to active participation in Armenian politics following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. He participated in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election as

4998-411: The decision on the grounds that a minority of demonstrators looted a nearby grocery store on Mashtots Avenue and set fire to a handful of police vehicles and buses Opposition leaders say that the looters had nothing to do with the demonstration, and that they were led by agent provocateurs . With the state of emergency in effect, at around 4:00 on 2 March, Levon Ter-Petrosyan asked the protesters near

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5096-549: The demonstrators on April 12–13, 2004. She also turned back Mesrop Mashtots Medal awarded by Kocharyan some years ago. A presidential election was held in Armenia on 19 February 2008. The incumbent President Kocharyan, who was ineligible for a third consecutive term, backed the candidacy of Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan . Following the election result, protests organized by supporters of unsuccessful candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan began in Yerevan's Freedom Square and accompanied by mass disorders. The opposition accused

5194-408: The demonstrators, using rubber truncheons and electric prods. "People started running towards Northern Avenue, but were chased by the police." By 11:00 am, Freedom Square was completely cordoned off by police and large water cannons were being used to clear the site of debris and blood (with riot police trying to prevent passersby from taking photographs). The Karapi Lich café was cordoned off with

5292-704: The disputes. Later in 2006 there was a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Minsk on 28 November and ministerial meetings were held in Moscow. "These talks did not initiate any progress, but I hope that the time for a solution will come" said Peter Semneby , EU envoy for the South Caucasus. In September 2006, in his congratulatory message on the occasion of 15th anniversary of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , Kocharyan said "The Karabakhi people made their historic choice, defended their national interests in

5390-429: The evening, clashes broke out between riot police and about 2,000 protesters who barricaded themselves at Miasnikyan Square. At around 10 pm, President Robert Kocharyan , with the approval of the Armenian parliament, declared a 20-day state of emergency , banning future demonstrations and censoring the media from broadcasting any political news except those issued by official state press releases. Kocharian justified

5488-514: The final weeks of his presidency. The SIS asked a Yerevan court to remand him in pre-trial custody. On 27 July 2018, he was arrested. On 13 August 2018, Kocharyan was freed from custody following a court ruling, but remained accused of the charges he was arrested for. On 7 December 2018, Kocharyan was arrested again following another ruling by the Court of Appeals. In 2019, all Kocharyan's assets and property, other than his pension, were frozen by

5586-585: The first Armenian Defense Minister and the Prime Minister of Armenia who was killed in the Armenian parliament shooting two months prior. On 12 February 2000, the institute was awarded the Battle Flag as a symbol of military honor. On 27 January 2006, a center for raising the qualification of officers was established at the Military Institute. On 28 April 2012, by the decision of the Government,

5684-505: The future status of the region. On 10–11 February 2006, Kocharyan and Aliyev met in Rambouillet , France to discuss the fundamental principles of a settlement to the conflict, including the withdrawal of troops, formation of international peacekeeping troops, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. During the weeks and days before the talks in France, OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen expressed cautious optimism that some form of an agreement

5782-458: The government of rigging the election in Sargsyan's favor. On March 1, the demonstrators were dispersed by police and military forces. Ten people (eight protestors and two policemen) were killed during clashes between police and protestors, and President Kocharyan declared a 20-day state of emergency. This was followed by mass arrests and purges of prominent members of the opposition, as well as

5880-593: The handling of the election and said that the mechanism of falsifications were put in operation in 1996 by Ter-Petrosyan. Protests continued on 22 February, and Deputy Prosecutor-General Gagik Jhangirian condemned the election, urging the people to act immediately to defend their votes, rather than complaining later about the government's behavior. A spokesperson for Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian asked Kocharyan to dismiss Jhangirian because prosecutors cannot be members of any party or to be involved in politics in any way The Defense Ministry denied Ter-Petrosyan's claim that

5978-628: The head of the Armenia Alliance with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Reborn Armenia party, which came in second place after Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party and entered parliament as the opposition. Robert Kocharyan was born on 31 August 1954 in Stepanakert , capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast . He received his secondary education in Stepanakert and served in

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6076-431: The intense protesting, instead promoting a peaceful aura following the election. On the third day of the protests, 22 February, the number of protesters was reported as about 30,000. Sarkisyan called the protests "blackmail' and said that if they violated the law, order would be restored through force. The opposition's Alexander Arzoumanian , however, said that the government did not have the courage to attempt to break up

6174-411: The military university. Construction was interrupted for a period of time, but in 2020, by order of Defense Minister David Tonoyan , the construction of the church was resumed and was brought to an end. The Church of St. Mesrop Mashtots functions on the territory of the military university. The Military University actively cooperates with leading Armenian universities , non-governmental organizations ,

6272-400: The morning hours, the second at around 9:15 pm, and the third late night. According to eyewitnesses (among them an RFE/RL correspondent) security forces—without prior warning—fired tracer bullets over the crowd for more than 40 minutes in an attempt to disperse the crowd (this is confirmed in an independent YouTube video). In the meantime, a unit of riot troops charged towards one of

6370-503: The morning, police cars surrounded the streets around Freedom Square, not allowing passengers to be dropped off or picked up, let alone to park. On 29 February, another march around town attracted an even larger group of ralliers, with at least 100,000 participants. At night, there were 132 tents set up in Freedom Square and occupied by 24-hour protesters. On 1 March, at 7:30 am, Armenian security forces violently dispersed

6468-560: The next elections. In March 2021, the Constitutional Court of Armenia ruled that criminal case against Kocharyan must be dropped as the article of the Criminal Code under which he is being prosecuted (Article 300.1) runs counter to two articles of the country's constitution. This ruling cannot be overturned. On 7 May 2021, Kocharian confirmed his intention to participate in the June 2021 snap parliamentary elections as part of

6566-609: The numbers attending his rally had doubled because people were leaving Sargysan's rally to come to his. Meanwhile, the National Security Service said that it had prevented an opposition plot to seize a television broadcasting tower in Yerevan; it said that the purpose of this alleged plot, for which several people were arrested, was to enable Ter-Petrosyan to make a live broadcast. An opposition spokesman dismissed this as "psychological pressure". Also on 26 February, Kocharyan suggested that his government's patience with

6664-660: The organization broke apart, he founded the Miatsum ("Unification") organization. In 1989, he was elected to Soviet Armenia's Supreme Soviet . In 1991, Kocharyan was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the newly established Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). Kocharyan became a member of the Pan-Armenian National Movement (then the ruling party of Armenia) and its executive board, representing the party in Nagorno-Karabakh. In January 1992, Kocharyan

6762-428: The original protests. Their plan was to assemble at Freedom Square at 3 pm and hold a candlelight vigil there for those who died on 1 March, followed by a silent protest from 5 pm to 7 pm of a single line stretching from Freedom Square, down Northern Avenue, to Myasnikian Square. However, riot police confronted the protesters and used force to disperse them. Senior police officers told protesters to leave

6860-403: The parliament building. Kocharyan himself negotiated with the terrorists to release the hostages and surrender to police. Kocharyan and his ally Serzh Sargsyan, who was minister of national security at the time of the shooting, have been suspected of covering up or even masterminding the attack in order to consolidate political power by their political opponents and some relatives and supporters of

6958-399: The parliament. He was succeeded by his then Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan . Kocharyan was re-elected for a second term as president on 5 March 2003 amid allegations of electoral fraud. In early 2004 there were demonstrations by opposition-led protestors and calls for Kocharyan's resignation. Kocharyan completed his second term as president in February 2008 and under the Armenian constitution

7056-399: The possession of protesters. By 11 am, at least a dozen army armored personnel carriers and about 500 soldiers wielding assault rifles were positioned in Republic Square, maintaining the state of emergency's policy of a ban on public demonstrations and meetings. The stage at Freedom Square has been surrounded by 6 army transportation trucks. Photography was strictly prohibited. Yerevan

7154-403: The previous five years. The election was held on 19 February 2008 and Sargsyan won the election with 53% of the vote, according to official results, with Ter-Petrosyan in second place with 22% of the vote. Under Armenia's electoral law, if neither candidate wins at least 50% of the votes, the top two contenders have to face each other in a second round of the elections. International observers from

7252-493: The protesters used fire arms – but this was contested by the representatives of the opposition who met with the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights. As of 9 am, Ter-Petrosyan urged his supporters to go home from the protest, citing Kocharian's state of emergency. The government alleged that protesters were carrying firearms. However, other than metal bars and some Molotov cocktails, no reporters had seen arms in

7350-401: The protesters, who were then reported to number about 700–1,000, and broke up a tented camp being used by the protesters in Freedom Square. Witnesses say that the government authorities planted guns and grenades among the sleeping protesters, and then claiming that they were thwarting an attempted coup, attacked the protesters. Police used bludgeons and electric shockers to beat and electrocute

7448-525: The protests had "a limit" and urged people to "come to their senses". On 27 February, an even larger group of protesters than previous days marched on the streets along Abovian and Mashdots Avenue. The evening again saw protester numbers in the tens of thousands, with an increasing number of tents. The crowd was mixed, there were groups of villagers (tens in each), students, families with children, government workers, in addition to opposition leaders. At around 11:30 pm some protesters started to rush towards

7546-495: The protests would continue "nonstop" and demanded that the government agree to holding a new election by 22 February. On 21 February, two members of the Central Election Commission who are representatives of the opposition said that they did not accept the results, and on the next day, Vahan Hovhannisian resigned from his position as deputy speaker of National Assembly of Armenia due to his disapproval of

7644-472: The protests. On 23 February, the number of protesters was reported as about 50,000. Kocharyan accused the opposition of trying to seize power and warned that the government would act to preserve order. Meanwhile, the police released a statement saying that they were "prepared to resolutely respond to any attempts to disturb public order and destabilize the situation, prevent extremist manifestations, and protect people's constitutional rights". The statement denied

7742-525: The ralliers. Levon Ter-Petrosyan was captured at Freedom Square and placed under house arrest. Some fled when police attacked them. Dozens were reported to have sustained severe injuries and more than 100 protesters were arrested. A witness told Human Rights Watch that several rows of Special Forces in riot armor, with helmets, plastic shields and rubber truncheons, started approaching from the left and right sides of Freedom Square. The witness said that police, without prior warning, sprayed water and descended on

7840-492: The revived pan-Turkist aspirations , which pose a direct threat to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh". In this situation, cooperation with Russia in the field of security becomes even more important for Armenia and obviously has no alternative for the country. Only irresponsible or recruited politicians can today insist on the withdrawal of the Russian base from the country. The Kurdish tragedy unfolding in northern Syria should be

7938-479: The rumored resignation of police chief Hayk Harutyunyan . Jhangirian was dismissed as Deputy Prosecutor-General by Kocharyan on 23 February and detained later that day. On 27 February Gagik Jahangiryan was arrested and accused of violating the article 235.1 of the Armenia Penal Code (illegal purchase, traffic and storage of weapons, explosive assemblies) and article 316.1 (application of force against

8036-623: The signing of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement , Kocharyan joined other ex-presidents and opposition politicians in calling for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation. He declared his support for Vazgen Manukyan , who was nominated by a coalition of 17 opposition parties, known as the Homeland Salvation Movement (which includes the Republican Party), to lead an interim national unity government. In January 2021, Kocharyan declared his intention to participate in

8134-408: The situation. In October 2020, Kocharyan and Ter-Petrosyan requested that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan give them permission to go to Moscow as special negotiators. Pashinyan accepted their request to go to Moscow to meet with Russian officials, but not as official negotiators. The visit never occurred as Kocharyan tested positive for COVID-19. After the defeat of the Armenian side in the war and

8232-463: The square. By that time there were about 3,000 riot police and special police forces present. The sheer number of protesters outnumbered the police, who were forced by the peaceful protesters to retreat. By 5 pm, all armored personnel carriers and all other military special vehicles as well as troops had been evacuated from the square. Protesters gradually confiscated the remaining buses and moved them to strategic locations to block incoming traffic to

8330-615: The square. It is notable that several agent provocateurs were detected by the crowd and swiftly removed. At around 3:30 pm, an unmarked white police car drove straight through the crowd at high speed. At least two women were run over and taken to hospital with injuries. The car was stopped by the crowd and set afire, as the policeman driving it fled the scene. As of 6:30 pm, at least 30 buses, each with about 30 army soldiers armed with AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles, were seen near Republic Square (in anticipation of Kocharian's state of emergency). Around 10:30 pm, Kocharyan declared

8428-566: The surrounding territories, and the lifting of the Azerbaijani and Turkish blockades of Armenia. After his predecessor Levon Ter-Petrosyan was ousted as President, Kocharyan was elected Armenia's second President on 30 March 1998, defeating his main rival, Karen Demirchyan (who was a former leader of Soviet Armenia), in an early presidential election marred by irregularities and violations by both sides as reported by international electoral observers. There were also complaints that Kocharyan

8526-437: The two deputy defense ministers had said that they would prevent the army from being used against the protesters, but the veterans' group Yerkrapah disputed this denial. Protests were held without an official permission. Part of the cause for the protest were oppositions claim that there were widespread violations, and the suppression of this belief. Armenian Public Television (H1) has received criticism for failing to show

8624-438: The vote. In both rounds, electoral observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe reported significant amounts of electoral fraud by Demirchyan's supporters and numerous supporters of Demirchyan were arrested before the second round took place. Demirchyan described the election as having been rigged and called on his supporters to rally against the results. Tens of thousands of Armenians protested in

8722-537: The votes and demanded an investigation into claims of voter fraud. Kocharyan declined to take his seat in the National Assembly and continues to lead the Armenia Alliance outside of parliament. Robert Kocharyan has long supported Armenia's close ties with Russia and considers Vladimir Putin a friend and ally. In a 2019 article in Sputnik -Armenia, he praised Russia's emerging role in global politics and

8820-618: The war that was forced upon them. Today, they are building a free and independent state." The accompanying message said that the duty of the Republic of Armenia and all Armenians is to contribute to the strengthening and development of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as to the international recognition of the republic's independence. On 26 July 2018, the Special Investigative Service (SIS) of Armenia charged Kocharian with “overthrowing constitutional order of Armenia” during

8918-533: The websites of RFE/RL and Armenia Liberty were once again accessible from within Armenia, but as of the morning of 8 March, they are once again inaccessible. As of May 2009, several major websites were still blocked and/or disabled. The President Elect Sargsian, during his meeting with EU special envoy for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby , said "We are ready to cooperate with all those who wants Armenia to develop, its citizens to prosper,

9016-511: Was blocked from 6 to 13 March; all IP addresses of https://www.youtube.com (208.65.153.253, 208.65.153.238, and 208.65.153.251) were unreachable from within Armenia during this time. YouTube hosts a1plusnews as well as ArmeniaLiberty Channel in addition to numerous eyewitness videos of the events of 1 and 2 March. As of the evening of 6 March, the IP addresses hosting the following web sites have been blocked by Armenian authorities: As of 7 March,

9114-601: Was a candidate for president of the Supreme Soviet of the NKR, but lost to Artur Mkrtchyan , a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation . With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict plunged into all-out war . Kocharyan participated in the Capture of Shusha in May 1992, one of the most significant Armenian victories of the war. In August 1992, Kocharyan became chairman of

9212-603: Was harshly critical of what he described as a pro-Western government following the 2018 Armenian revolution : The United States' trade war with China , the contrived series of sanctions against Russia, the U.S.'s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty , the U.S. detachment from the unfolding Middle East drama , an unexpected rapprochement between Russia and Turkey in Syria , an impressive Russia-Africa forum – this

9310-409: Was not eligible for a third term. Kocharyan's Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan had Kocharyan's backing for his candidacy as the next president. Ter-Petrosyan was also a candidate for this election, having announced his candidacy during a speech in Yerevan on 26 October 2007, in which he accused Kocharyan's government of massive corruption involving the theft of "at least three to four billion dollars" over

9408-468: Was not eligible to run under the Armenian constitution, which required candidates to be an Armenian citizen and have resided in Armenia for ten years. Before he became prime minister, Kocharyan resided in and was considered a citizen of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Kocharyan was supported by Vazgen Sargsyan's Republican Party , as well as the banned Armenian Revolutionary Federation , which he relegalized early in his presidency. After their coalition won

9506-633: Was possible. French President Jacques Chirac met with both leaders separately and expressed hope that the talks would be fruitful. Contrary to the initial optimism, the Rambouillet talks did not produce any agreement, with key issues such as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and whether Armenian troops would withdraw from Kalbajar still being contentious. The next session of the talks was held in March 2006 in Washington, D.C. Russian President, Vladimir Putin applied pressure to both parties to settle

9604-436: Was said to be all but a ghost town, with soldiers outnumbering citizens. The National Assembly confirmed Kocharyan's state of emergency, with 81 of the 131 members of parliament present voting in favor of it. Following the end of the state of emergency, thousands of people in Yerevan held a candlelight vigil for the victims of 1 March and a silent protest on 21 March 2008 to protest the 106 protesters who had been arrested in

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